Ball game including chance ball path disrupter



G. H. HINES 3,438,631 BALL GAME INCLUDING CHANCE BALL PATH DISRUPTER April 15, 1969 Filed May 4. 1965 [NI E N TOR United States Patent Oflice 3,438,631 Patented Apr. 15, 1969 3,438,631 BALL GAME INCLUDING CHANCE BALL PATH DISRUPTER Gail Hamilton Hines, P.0. Box 51, Lansing, Mich. 48901 Filed May 4, 1965, Ser. N 0. 453,086 Int. Cl. A63b 69/40, 71/00; F41b 15/00 US. Cl. 273-95 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A game wherein a pitched ball is hit toward a target to score. Disposed between the pitcher and the batter is at least one inclined chute supported above the playing surface through which a pitched ball must pass to reach the batter. The chute includes interrupting members to change the path of the ball as it gravitates through the chute so that the batter does not know where the exit point of the ball from the chute will be.

A principal object of the invention is to provide active and enthralling entertainment, and to encourage good sportmanship in view of fitting rules to assure lively contest such as inclines to build admirable character, while also the operation may be safely pursued indulgently within narrow limits of congested areas, such as in a home basement or within the bounds of a relatively short driveway between a city street and a residential garage.

Furthermore the invention affords means for consistently fair and reasonable matching in contest between yound and old, or between male and female, and to allow that danger of over-exertion be held to a minimum.

Moreover, another object of the invention is to provide for quick dismantling and rapid reassemblage of the device as may be required for transportation in a compact bundle.

And yet of added importance are unique elements involved to multiply thrills in the game, and to develop particularly alertness and judgment toward better physical and mental ability.

In general my device consists of a ball and an unusual gun with a unique barrel or a plurality of barrels in juxtaposition designed for reception of the ball as a result of active skill of a contestant, and whereas after the ball in the gun is baffied, the gun employs the earths gravitational pull to discharge the ball toward an opponent. Also I provide a standard upon which the gun is mounted; a paddle or equivalent for bunting the ball after it is discharged from the gun; and a target toward which the b unted ball is directed to gain credit to be counted for victory in a game; plus obvious incidentals and a list of rules with various options for wide and especially good use of my device.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanisms embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but few of the various mechanical forms (and related rules) in and through which the principle of my conception may be used.

In said annexed drawings: FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view showing one embodiment in which detailed essentials will also make obvious certain modifications or equivalents common in ordinary practice for optional connection means in construction to support broadly all claims hereto attached. FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary (nearly full) front view of FIG. 1. FIGURE 3 is a rear view of FIG. 1. FIGURE 4 represents a paddle for bunting a ball directly after it is discharged from the gun. FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a rack designed to receive a ball bunted after its exit from the gun. FIG. 6 is an end view of FIG. 5. FIGURE 7 is the likeness of a limiting tape or marker. FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on line V-V of FIG. 1. FIGURE 9 is a sectional view of alternate means for securing together a pair of legs of the standard which supports the gun. FIGURE 10 is a side view of FIG. 9. FIGURE 11 illustrates an optional construction by which a unit pair of legs is fastened in the standard to a central support, whereas a couple of legs are combined in one integral whole. FIG. 12 is a side view of alternate means for adjustably mounting the gun on the standard. FIG. 13 is a view taken on the line W-W of FIG. 12. FIG. 14 is a fragmentary rear view of the panel 1, and presents a portion of the panel which contains a score-keeping instrument, of which a plurality resides in connection with the panel 1. FIG. 15 is a diagrammatical auxiliary view having broad suggestions to impress further the wide range of modification I may resort to in making different models of my device, as very clearly FIGURE 15 implies abundant use of my principle with choice of just a single barrel employing fins and nubs in a trough or tube of irregular course to assure the bouncing of a ball so as to exit from the gun in a variety of different ways through an inning of successive shooting.

However, referring to the drawings for more elaboration, I show in particular a gun having :a pair of barrels 2 and 3 in juxtaposition and mounted on a backboard or panel 1 in which a relatively large rectangular hole 1A is formed to coincide with the combined rear-end openings of barrels 2 and 3. The barrels 2 and 3 may be rectangular (or square) in cross section as shown in FIG. 8, or they might be circular or oval, and composed of any suitable material, preferably break-resistant fiber composition or polyethylene, or metal (such as aluminum). Obviously I may employ any known equivalent in any and all angles even though I mention herein a particular material or specific type of construction, while for the purpose I need not describe more of the many similar connecting structures which could be substituted in workable fashion in my novel assembly and arrangement.

Flanges 2A and 3A of and integral with the barrels 2 and 3 respectively, have suitable small holes that match with holes in the panel 1, whereas rivets 4 disposed through the said aligned holes are securely clinched to effect the fastening together of the panel 1 and the barrels 2 and 3.

Attached to the assembled barrels 2 and 3 is a suitably shaped bracket 5 fastened thereto by means of screws 6 which pass through fitting holes in the lower walls or floor of the barrels 2 and 3. Particularly shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, a ball 7A is formed integral with the lower end of a screw 7, to have a fixed connection with the bracket 5. A vertical post 8, made from appropriate metal pipe or tubing, has a bifurcated upper end 8A formed so that the ball 7A will fit snugly therein, and be disposed to permit ready adjustment of the gun, including barrels 2 and 3, to provide for proper tilt and level of the gun relative to the support or standard which includes the center post 8. An annular clamp 9, having a tightening thumb-screw 10, is fastened by weld or rivet or by other ordinary means to one side of the bifurcated upper end of the post 8, whereas a simple turn of the screw 10 serves to fix the post 8 securely to the ball 7A to hold any selected adjustment between the gun and the standard. Obviously the post 8 may be constructed of telescoping pipes or tubing with adequate set-screws to make any required adjustment to change the vertical height or elevation of the gun, whereas such means is shown at 8B of FIG. 1.

For an alternate means of adjustably connecting the gun to the standard, I may employ a simple construction as shown in FIGURES 12 and 13 of the drawings, whereas a relatively short length of pipe 47 is properly of larger diameter than the pipe or central post 8 and is modified and shaped to have ears 47A through which screws 48 serve with holes in the ears 47A whereby to fasten the pipe 47 to the bracket 5A (which is an obvious equivalent of the bracket 5). Three screws 49 are spaced and disposed at 120 degrees apart around the periphery of the pipe 47, near the lower extremity of the pipe 47, and are arranged threaded through holes H of the pipe 47 for contact with the post 8 to provide adjustment function equal to other means already described, when a suitable, conical centering recess 5B in the bracket 5A is made to fit the upper end of the tubular post 8.

A suitable length of tubing 22 of proper diameter is shaped and disposed to telescope into the bottom end portion of the tubular post 8 to be as a leg 22 projecting laterally from the post 8 and to terminate outwardly as a footing for contact with a floor or the ground at a point considerably to the rear of the panel 1 of the gun, to provide approximately one-third of the footing support in the standard for the gun. Other footing supports are supplied as common with the two additional legs 26 and 27 which are disposed transversely relative to the leg 22, and are fastened to a lower portion of the post 8 by means of a bar 25 which telescopes into end portions of the legs 26 and 27, while the bar 25 is secured to the post 8 by means of an appropriate clamp 23 which is fitted with a set-screw 24 to make fixed any selected adjustment as required. An alternate design of the clamp 23 is offered in FIGURES 9 and 10, whereas the bar 25 is loosely adjustable in the obvious holes in the specially shaped strap-iron 42 until essential tightening of the thumbscrew 43 into the nut 44 fixes the bar 25 to the post 8. Or the legs 26 and 27 may be formed as one integral length as shown at 45 of FIG. 11, and whereas a spring 46 is attached to the pair of integrated legs 45 by means of a connecting link formed between holes 45A and 45B of the tubing 45, and hence affords a simple, practical provision for securing the unit pair of legs 45 to the post 8 inasmuch as the spring 46 is providing tension around the post 8 while the spring 46 is hooked into the hole 45C of the tube 45. The tube 45 is sufiiciently flattened at the area of contact with the post 8, so as to assure adequately substantial connection of associated elements in the standard.

In observation of FIGURE 14 there is to be recognized a practical means for keeping a running record of scores as they accumulate in the contest, whereas a pair of pointers 52 are disposed hinged on rivets 53 adjacent to opposite lower corners of the panel 1 and upon the rear or open face of the panel 1, and whereas further a corresponding circular dial including equally spaced symbols of numbers one to ten inclusive is associated with each pointer 52 and disposed in concentric relation with respective pivotal rivets 53 so that circular movement of the free end of the pointer 52 (in either case), when manually operated in a clockwise direction in synchroniztion with accumulation of scores will record the tally, as when each of the pair of recording instruments is used alternately in accordance with rules of the game. A second pair of such recording instruments may be connected with the panel 1 (maybe indirectly, as for either pair) to keep tally of the number of tens (and more). In each pair of insrtuments the dials will be of different colors, one relative to the other; perhaps red for the home team and blue for the visitor. In futher reference to FIG. 14 there will come the understanding that holes 54 through the panel 1 and in radial alignment with the pivotal rivet 53 and the figures on the dial (in either case) provide that players on both sides of the panel 1 may see the position of the pointer 52. A detent 52B in the form of a fitting bulge in the pointer 52, and disposed convex toward the panel 1, is effective as required since the detent 52B is under tension of the spring-steel pointer 52 pressing against the panel 1 and the hole 54 selected as the case may decide. Another bulge 52A of the pointer 52 is convex away from the panel 1 to be as a knob by which the thumb or finger of a human hand may move the respective pointer 52 as required.

Although my preferred model employs a double-barreled gun, my invention is deemed very workable under practically the same principle of operation when I use a gun having a single barrel as suggested in FIGURE 16, and when the barrel 55 may be of a suitable, intricate or involved design and with shallow fins 56 and other elements as elsewhere shown to make variable exit of the ball 19 from the gun, and to include other hazards as incline to add thrills into the game.

From the different and various examples I have shown to indicate obvious alternate means for substitution in any angle of the device my privilege is made clear that I may employ a wide modification within the scope of my invention. Hence as I explain the apparatus and its working more in detail I may further emphasize the understanding that any known or obvious equivalent may be used where I merely name or simply describe a specific structure or material.

Again referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, I show a ball 19, preferably a lightweight sphere made of unbreakable polyethylene, or perhaps manufactured from soft rubber. In the illustration afforded by FIG. 1 the ball 19 is viewed as in motion rolling down the barrel 2 in which a swingable resistance means in the form of a weight 17 (a buckshot or equivalent) is movably placed and disposed to retard the motion of the ball 19 which has been tossed into the barrel 2 by one of the players in the game (Rack-A-Ball). The weight 17 is connected to be as the lower end of a pendant which includes a metal chain or flexible cord 16 that passes through a hole 2B in the upper wall or ceiling of the barrel 2 and to provide further for the upper end of the cord 16 to be securely fastened to the barrel 2 by means of a rivet 18. A portion of the frontal upper wall or ceiling of the barrel 2 is cut away at 21 so that the weight 17 may be free to rise to full clearance position as required for the ball 19 to complete its course of travel in the barrel 2 and to be duly discharged from the gun. A further object of having a portion 21 of the barrel 2 cut away is to permit the player at the front of the gun to see the oncoming ball 19 reasonably momentarily before its exit from the barrel 2, whereas quite the opposite condition is to prevail at the exit of the barrel 3, in accordance with extended explanation to follow in this exposition and specification.

With additional reference to FIGURE 1 there is noted an ear 13 in connection with the barrel 3 at its upper outside frontal corner and disposed parallel to the side walls of the barrels 2 and 3 so that a portion of the ear 13 projects above the upper wall or ceiling of the barrel 3, whereas a pin 14 of suitable diameter and length extends through a fitting hole in the ear 13 and above the top wall or ceiling of the barrel 3 and disposed parallel to the frontal opening or exit of the barrel 3 to allow that one end of the pin 14 shall be securely supported in a suitable hole in the joined or adjacent side walls of the barrels 2 and 3, when a lid or blind 15 of opaque plastic material (as ordinarily used in upholstering) of appropriate rectangular shape of proper size is glued or stapled to the pin 14 where the lid or blind 15 is hinged to be as a relatively vertical pendant, free-swinging door at the exit-end of the barrel 3, altogether designed so that the lid or blind 15 shall prevent the player at the front of the barrel 3 from seeing unduly the course of the ball 19 (when the ball is inside the barrel) before the instant of exit.

A deflector-guide 11 designed to be a hazard in the course of play is bifurcated as particularly shown at 11A of FIG. 2 0f the drawings, whereas the upper end of each prong of the bifurcated portion of the guide 11 is shaped in the form of a nub for the purpose of bouncing or deflecting the ball 19 in its course of travel toward the exit of the barrel 3. Moreover the guide 11 projects effectively as a narrow track forward and outward on the longitudinal centerline of the bottom wall or fioor of the barrel 3 to end in contact with the pendant door or lid or blind 15, whereas the screw 12 (in FIG. 1) in a hole of the barrel 3 is aligned with a matching hole in an outside, reverse arm of the guide 11 and provides to fasten the guide 11 to the barrel 3; or the fastening may be adequately secured when the guide 11 is designed properly as a spring clip pinching from top and bottom upon the floor of the barrel 3 while projecting outwardly from the exit end of the barrel 3 as required.

Concerning the gun, and with reference to FIG. 1, of the drawings, the partition formed by the inner, vertical walls of the barrels 2 and 3 is adequately cut away inwardly (in common with both barrels) for a reasonable expanse from the rear end, as shown at the recess (FIG. 1), to allow for proper functioning of the ball 19 through one of the pair of barrels 2 and 3, as skill or chance may dictate.

A paddle, with a flat, broad face 50 and a handle 51, as pictured at FIGURE 4 of the drawings, is made of suitable materials (as in general practice) and is of a size and shape to be held conveniently in hand as a tool with H which to bunt the ball 19 into a rack such as is illustrated through FIGURES 5 and 6. Now spontaneously it will be noted that instead of the rack of specific and detailed example in the drawings, any other sort of target for registering or availing credits or scores indicative of skill might be the chosen equivalent target which I may use, and by which to rack up a score in the game (Rack- A-Ball). Obviously the ball 19 could be bunted against a fitting design of the ordinary target of concentric rings of various colors, whereas forwardly projecting circular flanges or partitions could sharply and certainly give assurance as to which ring actually bounced-back the bunted ball, and of course to name the size of the credit without a doubt. Such an equivalent is deemed understood without further addition to the numerous examples in my set of drawings. And moreover in the matter of a target, a human being (one of the contestants) according to mutual agreement upon an option from the several in my book of rules, could be a most vital, live target,

whereas this living target would be stationed in a restricted area bounded by marker tape, and whereas the catching of the bunted ball (without foul) within the restricted area would be a requisite for the recording of a valid score.

However, regarding the target in the form of a rack as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, and concerning construction, a composition-material such as Masonite serves well for making the front and rear walls 28 and 29 respectively, and the principle is workably carried out when the rear wall 29 is two or three times the height measured bottom to top from the floor against the comparative feature of the front wall 28. In length the front and rear walls relate nearly the same except as the front wall 28 is a trifle longer inasmuch as it is not parallel to the rear wall 29 while both longitudinal walls share their common endings in connection with parallel transverse walls and 38 which are made of flexible plastic material such as is used in upholstering. The end walls 35 and 38 are trapezoidal in shape and are fastened to the front and rear walls by means of binding strips 36 and staples 37. The rack includes braces 31 and 33, the former longer than the latter, both being designed and fitting to divide the rack into compartments (preferably three) of different sizes, large, medium and small; and whereas also the braces 31 and 33 hold pendant rectangles of fabric 32 and 34 respectively. The braces 31 and 33 are detachably arranged and are formed from heavy wire and to have a suitable length at each end disposed perpendicular or square to the longer, main portions of the braces. These braces 31 and 33 are detachably connected with the additional framework of the rack by means of screw-eyes 30 in front and rear (longitudinal) walls 28 and 29, whereas vertical portions of the braces extend through appropriate holes provided by the screw-eyes.

From the description and specifications of assembled elements of my device I have made it clear that the apparatus may be transported as separate parts arranged in a compact bundle and then further to be quickly assembled for full use as intended.

In the employment and operation of my invention (the game, Rack-A-Ball) there are ingenious rules for consideration in order to have utmost benefit as intended. However, herein I shall give only basic suggestions while apparently from these fundamentals a wide range of beneficial modification or extension of rules will readily come to mind for use as the particular case may require.

Moreover I may report some well-fabricated examples that are fitting for illustration because of having been built from the witnessing of actual play with a carefully developed model, and hence to allow that the basic rules will be plainly implied. We may assume to begin with only two players-opponents in contest. The game goes by innings, much as in baseball. A flip of the coin decides who is first to pitch, or by the drawing of straws or the like. For convenience to lead clearly through our examples of use we may designate the two contestants as Redhead and Bluebeard. The weighted marker 39 is placed at a distance of six feet directly back away from the open (free) face of the panel 1 of the gun which includes barrels 2 and 3. Redhead (who is first to pitch) stands erect behind the marker 39, while Bluebeard with paddle in hand awaits the pitched ball 19 as he stands judiciously near the exit of the gun through which the ball 19 must be discharged. Bluebeard also anticipates moves to bunt the ball 19 into one of the three compartments of the rack, as shown at FIG. 6 except that the rack is disposed away from the vertical centerline of the gun (or post 8), to be six feet away to the right (right being as shown in FIG. 6 related to FIG. 2). Redhead (the pitcher) begins the contest. He bends his left arm to right angles and places his left forearm across his abdomen and holds his right elbow in his left hand, and so that his right forearm points upwardly disposed nearly vertical and inclined only as logically is wise in keeping with rules for the right hand (holding the ball 19) to be slightly tilted away from the gun and sufiiciently well behind the marker 39 to have the ball 19 close to his right eye, and to be very sure that when he tosses the ball 19 to enter the opening 1A of the panel 1 the ball 19 will leave his hand before the hand crosses the vertical plane that rises upward from the marker 39 which runs fixed on the floor disposed parallel to the face of the panel 1. By observing the implied rule the game is kept fair and admirable whether the players arm be long or short, so far as this particular angle is c0ncernedand so that the psychological effect is to impress good sportsmanship in every way.

Redhead aims, and according to rule tosses the ball 19 by a flip of the wrist together with just a slight forward movement of the upper forearm. (A left-handed player would do the reverse.) The pitch of Redhead is thoroughly successful because his aim was to have the ball 19 enter the barrel 3 (to make the greatest difliculty for his opponent, Bluebeard), whereas the ball 19 would most likely exit so surprisingly under the blind 15 as to cause Bluebeard to be erratic in the use of the paddle 50 and hence fail to bunt the ball into one of the compartments of the rack (FIG. 6). Bluebeard failed, and no score is recorded. Each contestant (or team) pitches the ball 19 a total of six times in each inning. So in further play, Bluebeard gives the ball back to Redhead for the second try. Again Redhead tosses the ball 19 according to rule, and this time to effect breathtaking thrills for both players. The pitcher failed to aim the ball into the more dangerous barrel 3 of the gun, but still he succeeded in having the ball 19 enter the barrel 2, wherein the ball bumped against the weight 17 of the pendant 16 and thereby the movement of the ball was a bit retarded so the sphere could be seen clearly at the front end of the gun before making of the exit of the ball from the less-hazardous barrel 2, and hence Bluebeard (with the paddle 50) bunted the ball With thrill-inspiring confidence toward the smallest compartment of the rack, inasmuch as a ball bunted into the largest compartment allows a score of only one point, the middle compartment two points, while the ball placed (bunted) into the smallest compartment brings a credit of three. Hence the thrill from an almost yet not quite. The bunted ball 19 struck against a spot only a fraction of an inch too low on the front wall 28 of the rack, and of course Bluebeard missedalthough he just narrowly missed the three points he momentarily thought he would earn. Again no score is counted. Redhead has still four more obligations to pitch in the first inning, and Bluebeard has four more chances to score. Redhead pitches again, and with more pressing aim to have the ball enter the more dangerous barrel 3. But apparently Redhead tries a bit too hard and the ball enters neither of the pair of barrels of the gun. The ball struck the panel 1 and bounced back to the pitcher. Now the recording instrument (FIG. is used because the failure of Redhead to enter the ball 19 in one of the barrels of the gun thereby gives his opponent (Bluebeard) a credit of TWO points (as Bluebeard was denied a chance to make a possible three points). The pointer 52 on the blue dial is moved to the figure TWO. Redhead pitches again. The ball enters the barrel 3. But Bluebeard found the ball 19 rolling well out on the guide 11 (from chance guidance of the bifurcated portion of the guide 11) and Bluebeard was able to paddle the ball deftly enough to cause it to be bunted into the largest compartment of the rack, and hence to have one more point added to his credit, to bring the pointer on the blue dial around to the figure THREE. The rest of the first half of the first inning went scoreless, then Bluebeard took his proper turn as pitcher to toss the ball the required six times. In each one of the six tosses he succeeded in placing the ball in the gun, four times in the more hazardous barrel 3 and twice into barrel 2; yet the inning ended with the score a tie since Redhead bunted the ball into the middle compartment of the rack for two points while once he scored in the largest compartment for a credit of one point.

On occasion a second marker 39 (for pitching) may be used, as when it would be mutually agreed that while a professional is in contest with an amateur the professional should do his expert pitching from the marker that is more distant from the gun (to make the game interesting for all).

Besides the basic rules there are special regulations to adapt the game for group use (for more than two contestants). In further examples two pairs of partners are assumedtwo Redheads against two Bluebeards. In the role of pitching, the partners would alternate so that each inning would find each player tossing the ball three times (a total of six for the team). In the category of bunting the ball 19 after its exit from the gun, the bunting to score by knocking the ball into the rack is most thrilling as a relay affair. From the exit of the gun the ball is bunted by one partner to another, and only as the second partner (on the second bunt in the relay process) succeeds in bunting the ball in the rack, only then does the ball in the rack count for credit. Activity on the relay is no longer valid after the ball has touched the floor or ground following the balls exit from the gun. However a ball that is fairly bunted and falls definitely into a compartment of the rack so as to strike the floor of the rack will be counted for full and normal credit even though the ball may bounce out of the rack after the valid score is made. And in the relay version of the game the spacing of the rack away from the gun is adjusted accordingly to provide the larger separation of units as required. A regulation game is an even number of innings, optional six, or eight or ten (and might end up in a tie as in football). And it will be noted that the partners exchange positions regularly so that the game (as intended) must incline toward utmost balanced development.

The game may be played by two pairs of partners without use or need of the rack (of FIG. 6). Partners at the exit end of the gun are essentially separated and properly spaced apart, one partner (with paddle) having his position near the exit of the gun while the other partner (behind marker tape) is restricted in a limited area to serve as a substitute for the rack. The partner in the bounded zone must catch the ball as it is bunted toward him, and must do this without touching ground outside of his restricted area, whereas penalty for the violation would mean the giving of TWO points credit to the opposition, and of course nothing earned by the side committing the foul. Two (or more) restricted areas (as described) may be set up for the fielding partner, one restricted area placed at a considerably greater distance from the gun than the other restricted area, whereas the catching of the bunted ball from within the area nearer the gun allows a credit of ONE point while the catching of the ball from the more distant area gives a credit of THREE points; but the fielder must choose his position before the pitcher tosses the ball and must maintain that position until after the play, and then may choose a different area for the next operation.

It will be evident how six (three on a team) may contend for honors by using the relay principle in hunting, and for the rack or a final end-man to receive the ball 19 for credit on the tally.

In a sizable group, as at a picnic, playing elimination is of interest to all when proving the champions of different classes. In an open area, as in a park, extended relay bunting may be done with the palm of the hand against the lightwei ht, soft ball, and only the player at the exit of the gun finds the paddle essential.

Instead of employing a rack with compartments of variable sizes, I may have all compartments designed to be practically the same in size and yet to provide for variable credits by virtue of the hazards of the greater distances from the exit of the gun, as regards placement of the compartments which serve as targets for the bunted ball 19.

Perhaps I should here mention that I may use a detachable funnel-shaped accessory fashioned to fit around the rectangular hole 1A of the panel 1 whereas the design may be such as to increase the chances for the tossed ball 19 being entered into the barrel 2 of the gun, over and above the chances favoring entrance into barrel 3. Along a similar line of anticipation I may provide a funnel with a suitable channel leading into the sizable hole 1A to allow that one individual alone (for practice, or more) could play solo under provision to pitch or toss the ball 19 properly into the gun while the single player who tosses the ball may simultaneously hold his essential position very close to the exit of the gun, in readiness to bunt the ball into the rackas the gun will discharge the ball which has been pitched into the funnel leading into the gun.

One or more of the marker tapes 39 may have printed thereon some handy units of measure for convenience to efiect a proper setting of markers and the rack.

And especially I should stress the fact that I may most practically promote a single-barreled model of my device since the idea radiating from the diagrammatical illustration at FIGURE 15 upon considerations of other views in my set of drawings altogether substantiates my anticipation for very satisfactory use of the involved principle in a gun with a single barrel properly designed and fitted with deflectors, baflle fins, pendants and guides, etc. as I have illustrated and described sufficiently to warrant a belief that the related obvious mold is understood without need for extra words (when I have covered the fundamentals).

While I have illustrated and described fair working examples of my invention and improvements I have also indicated that the range of my pertinent ideas beyond words may leave much to be implied; so I never want to be understood as limiting myself to the specific details of construction and formation of the elements shown, as under the spirit of my invention I believe that I am entitled to employ a wide variation of detail such as may fall within the scope of the appended claims, such departure from the specific statements of construction may include all obvious simplification where I have purposely elaborated at length in anticipation of special conditions which may or may not require my wholehearted exploitation of presently unheralded patterns.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A game device comp-rising a ball to be pitched and batted in mechanically supplemented contest, a ball-receiving chute open at elevated pitcher-end thereof and having a ball-discharge batter-end, standard means for supporting said chute above a playing surface, pendant means mounted for both longitudinal and latitudinal move ment for interrupting variably the path of the gravitating ball between sidewalls of said chute accordingly as successive impacts of the pitched ball with said pendant are especially broad in effect whereby delivery of the ball to discharge-end will be delayed and the course of the ball altered to vary widely the relative moment of exit from time to time, and scoring means for the batter to prove skill upon discharge of the ball.

2. A game device comprising a ball to be pitched and batted in mechanically supplemented contest, a plurality of inclined approximately parallel ball-receiving chutes open at elevated pitcher-ends thereof and having ball-discharge batter-ends, standard means for supporting said chutes above a playing surface, means for interrupting the path of the gravitating ball in at least one of said chutes whereby delivery of the ball to a discharge-end will be delayed, and blind means disposed at a discharge-end of at least one of said chutes for hiding the ball from the view of a player.

3. A game device comprising a ball to be pitched and batted in mechanically supplemented contest, a plurality of inclined approximately parallel ball-receiving chutes open at elevated pitcher-ends thereof and having balldischarge batter-ends, standard means for supporting said chutes above a playing surface, pendant means mounted for both longitudinal and lateral movement for interrupting the path of the gravitating ball in at least one of said chutes whereby delivery of the ball to a dischargeend will be delayed, blind means disposed at a dischargeend of at least one of said chutes for hiding the ball from view of a player, and scoring means for a batter to prove skill upon discharge of the ball.

4. A game device comprising a ball to be pitched and batted in mechanically supplemented contest, a plurality of inclined approximately parallel ball-receiving chutes open at elevated pitcher-ends thereof and having balldischarge batter-ends, standard means for supporting said chutes above a playing surface, pendant means mounted for both longitudinal and latitudinal movement for interrupting variably the path of the gravitating ball in at least one of the chutes whereby delivery of the ball to a discharge-end will be delayed variably from time to time to foil the batter, zone marker means for defining a players legitimate position for pitching the ball into a chute, and scoring means for a batter to prove skill upon discharge of the ball.

5. A game device comprising a ball to be pitched and batted in mechanically supplemented contest, a plurality of inclined approximately parallel ball-receiving chutes open at elevated pitcher-ends thereof and having balldischarge batter-ends, standard means for supporting said chutes above a playing surface, pendant means mounted in one of the chutes for both longitudinal and latitudinal movement for interrupting variably the path of the gravitating ball whereby delivery of the ball to a discharge-end will be delayed variably from time to time, in a second chute between walls or posts thereof a special fixed means to vary more widely the different paths of the ball and its different points of exit for further bafilement to the batter, and scoring means for a batter to prove skill upon discharge of the ball.

6. A game device comprising a ball to be pitched and batted in mechanically supplemented contest, an inclined ball-receiving chute open at elevated pitcher-end thereof and having a ball-discharge batter-end, standard means for supporting said chute above a playing surface, in the chute a plurality of channels leading from pitcher-end to batter-end, blind means disposed at a discharge-end of one of said channels for hiding the gravitating ball from view of the batter, multiple-function means including fixed bumps plus track-extension means ending especially close to an unfettered part of the blind plus pendant means mounted for both longitudinal and latitudinal movement for interrupting variably the path of the gravitating ball to vary from time to time its moment of exit relatively and its point of exit especially to foil the batter, zone marker means for defining a players legitimate position for pitching the ball into the entrance-opening of said chute, and scoring means for a batter to prove skill upon discharge of the ball.

7. A game device comprising a ball to be pitched and batted in mechanically supplemented contest, an inclined ball-receiving chute open at elevated pitcher-end thereof and having a ball'discharge batter-end, standard means for supporting said chute above a playing surface, within said chute a pendant means for interrupting the path of the gravitating ball from time to time to foil the batter while exercising best of skill, and yet also to provide that the pitcher may quite as well demonstrate especial skill by judicial and controlled placement of the pitched ball to have a choice impact against the interrupting pendant for action of the ball to be most unfavorable for success of the batter, zone marker means disposed directly behind the pitcher-end of the chute and within three feet of said chute when obviously the entire device is designed for free action in contest of two la-rger-than-aver-age men, said zone marker defining a players legitimate position for pitching the ball into said chute, scoring means including a paddle or equivalent for the batter, and a rack type target disposed conveniently close to the batter and yet enough to one side of the discharge-end of the chute so that the gravitating ball will not fall onto the target without a guiding physical action from the batter, and altogether having elements arranged so that two adult humans can conveniently use the device as claimed.

8. A game device comprising a ball to be pitched and batted in mechanically supplemented contest, an inclined ball-receiving chute open at elevated pitcher-end thereof and having a ball-discharge batter-end, standard means for supporting said chute above a playing surface, in the chute, a plurality of channels leading from pitcher-end t0 batter-end, a bordering panel substantially framing around the opening at the pitcher-end to insure against trouble from pitched balls that fail to enter the entrance opening, upon said panel a conveniently disposed mechanical counter for keeping tally as required in use of the device, multiple-function means including fixed bumps or posts and track extension means narrowed for the ball to roll easily sideways off the track at different points along the extension from time to time plus pendant means for interrupting variably the path of the gravitating ball to provide for an especially wide choice of points and relative moments of exit of the ball for bafflement to the batter, zone marker means for defining a players legitimate position for pitching the ball into the chute, and scoring means for a batter to prove skill upon discharge of the ball.

9. A game device comprising a ball to be pitched and batted in mechanically supplemented contest, an inclined ball-receiving chute open at elevated pitcher-end thereof and having a ball-discharge batter-end, standard means for supporting said chute above a playing surface, in the chute a plurality of channels leading from pitcher-end to batter-end, a bordering panel substantially framing around the opening at the pitcher-end to insure against trouble from pitched balls that fail to enter the entrance opening, upon said panel a conveniently disposed mechanical counter for keeping tally as required in use of the game device, multiple-function means including fixed bumps or posts and track extension means narrowed for the ball to roll easily sideways off the track at different points along the extension from time to time plus pendant means for interrupting variably the path of the gravitating ball to provide for an especially wide choice of points and relative moments of exit of the ball for bafilement to the batter, said track extension means being connected protrusively at the exit end of one of the channels, blind means for hiding the track extension from view of the batter, zone marker means for defining a players legitimate position for pitching the ball into said chute, and scoring means for the batter to prove skill upon discharge of the ball.

10. A game device comprising a ball to be pitched and batted in mechanically supplemented contest, an inclined ball-receiving chute open at an elevated pitcher-end thereof and having a ball-discharge batter-end, standard means for supporting said chute above a playing surface, within said c'hute a pendant means for interrupting the path of the gravitating ball to vary the nature of the exit of the ball from the chute from time to time to foil the batter in a reciprocal test of skill so that the pitcher may judge and move for controlled placement of the pitched ball to give it a preferred impact against the interrupting pendant for tendency of the ball to move in a first choice of various ways to be least favorable for success of the batter, zone marker means set clearly disposed to balance all elements well within a chosen section of floor area, said zone marker means being disposed directly behind the pitcherend of the chute for defining a players legitimate position for pitching the ball into the chute, scoring means including a paddle or equivalent for the batter plus obvious ample floor space and operating room in front of the balldischarge end of said chute, and a rack to be a target having a plurality of open compartments of different sizes on which the batted ball may register a variety of scoring values in succeeding efforts of the batter to bunt the ball into a designating section, said rack having a back wall considerably higher than the front wall to insure the careful batter against loss of credit under the rule that the batter is penalized whenever the ball is bunted over or beyond the rack, said device being altogether designed and arranged so that two larger-than-average men can conveniently use the invention as claimed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 467,373 1/1892 Henriquez 273120 1,037,877 9/1912 Doerr 27395 1,496,387 6/1924- Smith. 1,526,409 2/1925 Zajicek 273118 2,955,823 10/1960 Chanko 27326 3,111,318 11/1963 Northrup 27390 3,190,656 6/1965 Weisbecker 273138 ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

M. R. PAGE, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 124-1; 273138 

